Coronavirus: Hong Kong could add Britain to list of countries with travel restrictions, after top health official says they are watching developments closely
- Undersecretary for Food and Health Dr Chui Tak-yi says administration is not ruling out ‘additional measures’
- Strong trading and educational links between city and UK leave some Hongkongers in limbo
A top health official in Hong Kong has not ruled out extending coronavirus travel restrictions already in place for most of Europe to Britain as well.
Some local students on overseas exchange programmes have already been forced to cut short their trips in countries on the government list, with at least 38 tour groups to Europe, involving around 800 holidaymakers, being cancelled this month.
On Saturday, a day after the government announced arrivals from the 26 countries in Europe that are part of the Schengen agreement would be put under mandatory home quarantine, Undersecretary for Food and Health Dr Chui Tak-yi was questioned why Britain had been left out.
The country, which has strong trading links with Hong Kong, and where many of the city’s children attend school, had recorded 798 confirmed cases by noon on Saturday, including 10 deaths.
“We have been watching very closely the trend of development in any part of the world, also apart from the Schengen area in Europe, so we will not exclude additional measures towards other countries,” Chui said.
